Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-10-26
bound, toward the awful spot where

bound, toward the awful spot where
he was to meet his fate, and the
clergy whispered:
"Confess the truth, my son, and 90
to Heaven washed from falsehood."
"He answered.:
81 have spoken the truth. I can say
nothing more"
And so they brought him to the
gallows-the old gallows of old Gweit
Town, brown with time, and not too
staunch Or stout, where many thief
and murderer had hung before. And
all the county were there to eee-for
then it was considered wholesome
sight for the populace-and reserved
seats were not sold to q few curious for
spicy horrors as they are to-day even
in our good city OF New York.
Men and women, and even chill iren,
stood up at the gallows and gazed at
the figure mounting it.
Peter Morgan saw them and grew
hot with shame. To die such death,
before so many, was worse than
merely leaving this world, which had
been bright to him in his youth and
strength, and where his old mother
would starve, deserted by him.
Tears came TO his eyes-for the first
time he trembied, and the clergyman,
seeing..it, exhorted him once more to
tell where the diamonds were and con-
TESS his guilt.
| But Peter turned from him and
toward the faces lifted up expectant
OF his death struggles. From time
immemorial q last speech has been
permitted to those doomed to execu.
ton. And knowing this he spoke:
"Friende: [ stand here a dying
MAINLAND | die innocent. God hears
me and his Son. Let it be O. warning
to all. The test of the Bible and the
key is a cheat. 1t was tried ana found
me guilty. never touched the diA-
| monds. [ know no more of them
than the youngest baby here. l die
murdered"
Then he gave himself up to the exc
cutioner and the clergyman-and the
black cap was drawn over his eyes
and prayer was said, and the signal
given and the drop ell.
Then occurred what seemed q mis-
chance. The gallows of Gwtlt Town
was old and much decayed. The vic
tim was heavy man. AS he swung
off something gave way. Instead of
being properly hanged, Peter Morgan
fell heavily to the ground, stunned
and bleeding, with bits of rotten
wood, and ropes, and loosened nails
scattered over him. The fragments
OF birds nest-two young birds,
above which the mother bird
screamed and futtered, and Miss
Blackthwaite's diamonds!
At the top Of the old gallows, as all
Gwelt Town knew, had been for years
q m agple's nest, and the mother bird
had often picked crumbs from the sill
of Miss Blackthwaite's window. On
that morning. when she lay asleep
with her window open, the bird af1ict
ed, like all it's race, with what is deli
cately called kleptomania, had helped
herself to the diamonds. The magpie
was the thief, not poor Peter Morgan,
whom they picked up alive and car
ried home in triumph.
Some good people were little disap
pointed, but there was no hanging in
Gwelt Town that day. The major
and his sister, of course made what
PREPARATION lay in their power-and
Peter Morgan started in life in the
way that best please him-and his
mother knew poverty no longer.
In course of time they grew rich, and
to-day the Morgans OF Gwelt Town
ride in their carriage. and upon it's
panel you may see their coat of arms.
A maybe, with q necklace in its
beak, and the motto:
"Hope, even nnder the gallows."